How to Make Ads So Good People Steal Them

Want to generate more engagement with your company’s out-of-home ads? Make them so compelling that consumers want to steal them.

If this seems easier said that done, consider taking a page from JetBlue’s #NYCTakeoff campaign playbook. In the campaign, JetBlue hid prizes in bus shelter ads at 181 stops across New York City’s five boroughs. The ads had different images, from a cheeseburger to a NYC cityscape, an airplane, and more, all in the company’s classic JetBlue design aesthetic.

What differentiates these ads from other bus shelter ads are the clever call-to-actions under each image that inspire people walking by to steal them, including, “Literally. Take This Ad. Literally,” and, “Only A Real New Yorker Can Pull This Off.”

Watch as New Yorkers discover that there’s more than meets the eye with JetBlue’s bus shelter ads.

The video and campaign showcase the power surprise and delight campaigns have to deliver memorable customer experiences. While it’s likely that some people walked by the bus shelter ads without reading them, those that did—and were brave enough to rip off the ad—were rewarded with something special and unexpected.

In a time where customer attention is the ultimate commodity, consider how you can take a cue from JetBlue’s mantra and put people above all. Consumers are faced with more messages and ads than they can process everyday, many of which do not inspire, educate, or add value. By putting the consumer experience at the center of this campaign, JetBlue cleverly transformed everyday ads into something amazing.

And, at the end of the day, isn’t that what we are all striving for?

Get more content like this, plus the very BEST marketing education, totally free. Get our Definitive email newsletter.